Harper to talk investment, pandas during Chinese visit

Stephen Harper's China visit to include talk on investment, pandas

By Jason Fekete

Prime Minister Stephen Harper may sign a handful of broad-strokes trade and investment-co-operation agreements when he visits China next week and finalize the loan of giant pandas to three Canadian zoos, according to Chinese officials and news outlets.

During his week-long trade mission to China, Mr. Harper is scheduled to visit the capital of Beijing, the southern trade port of Guangzhou (near Hong Kong) and possibly the southwestern hub of Chongqing.

Details of his trip — under wraps until an official briefing Friday — are slowly leaking out through Chinese-Canadian media and a statement from Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai.

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Mr. Harper is scheduled to speak on Feb. 9 in Beijing at the Canada-China Business Forum, which will likely include a half-day conference that allows Canadian business leaders to interact with Chinese companies, according to the Canada China Business Council.

The Prime Minister is slated to provide the keynote address on Feb. 10 in Guangzhou to the Canada-China Business Dinner, an event sponsored by the Canadian chambers of commerce in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

It’s also believed Mr. Harper will travel to the Chongqing area (which is home to a panda preservation centre), where he could announce the details of Canada accepting giant pandas on loan from China, according to Chinese-Canadian news website Canada Meet News, citing a “person in the know.”

The federal government has been finalizing an agreement with China that would see three Canadian zoos — in Calgary, Toronto and Granby, Que. — collectively “adopt” two giant pandas.

Each of the three zoos is likely to receive the two pandas for 18 to 24 months.